Manifest Destiny - An Enclave Tale - Episode II
by BrettK
Summary: With the establishment of the United Settlements, it would appear Governor Washington has gained himself some early victories in his conquest. However, with the rise of the Pacific Confederation in the old New California Republic territories, and whispers of a new revolution upcoming, can Governor Washington's new government rise up to the new challenges of governance?
1. Prelude

Hey everyone, it's me BrettK coming with the next installation of Manifest Destiny to take place in the post-apocalyptic era. First, I want to say that this is going to be a completely new retelling of this story from the original previous three chapters which are now deleted. The reason for this, is because the story hit a log for me quite early on and I spent months to an entire year trying to figure out how to pull the concepts I wanted together to no avail. Nothing seemed right, and it just put a bad taste in my mouth to finally just inspire me to do an entire rewrite of it with a new focus in order to tell the story I wish to tell. So if you were one of those original readers of the second part, this will be very different in both focus and how it handles the story. And in my opinion, will allow me to tell a more powerful and realistic story then I otherwise felt was not possible. As for the first chapter of this, it will not be an official chapter, more so a prelude of the setting so it will be done in bullet points, but know this story like the first will not be written as bullet points.

The reason for the bullet points are mainly due to the fact, that since I plan for this story to cover such a large period of time with plenty of events, it will be impossible to write down just the events without keeping track of some sort of bullet point timeline. It would be like asking you to remember every piece of canon Fallout Lore from the series, without being able to consult the bullet pointed timeline format. It is simply going to be placed to keep updated with events that are important to the story but may be too minor to make a full dialogue, action, humorous tale about as we have a lot of stuff to cover. Anyway, that's enough explaining.

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 **2249**

 **April:** The Warrior begins to solidify his control of old New California territories, placing New California Republic leaders on military tribunal kangaroo courts, leading to mass executions of old NCR military leadership. Many civilians are also executed and autonomy of old NCR states is dismantled in favor of a centralized state.

 **April:** Lost Hills excavations begin soon after the conclusion of the Brotherhood-NCR war. Western Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel confirmed to have died, due to starvation and other injuries.

 **April:** The Shi Empire with the help of Governor Washington, manage to fully evacuate the mainland United States set for China. San Francisco is soon inhabited by bands of refugees from the New California Republic, before being annexed by the Midwestern Brotherhood.

 **May:** Johnathon Maxson and his expeditionary force reach the State of New Mexico after fierce fighting between his Brotherhood force and Caesar's Legion. Pursued by elements of Caesar's Legion who hinders all movement from the group. Expedition down to thirteen members from its original twenty.

 **July:** Robert House successfully petitions Governor Washington to allow him the ability to construct a new robotics factory in New Vegas. Construction starts within a month.

 **August:** Governor Washington, operating on recommendations by Colonel Kreger begins a major restructure of the army command structure, basing it more along the lines of the old Pre-War United States military and establishing more independence from the state. Colonel Kreger receives an official promotion to General after the restructure. Creation of the United Settlements Army Air Corp is also ordered, with Daisy being promoted to Major General.

 **October:** Governor Washington proceeds to marry Ranger Katelyn, announcing her as the "First Lady of the Settlements."

 **November:** Robert House proceeds to create policies for economic development of private business, publishing the first official public documentation of the United Settlements entitled _"The American Manifesto."_ Companies such as Crimson Caravan, Far-Go Traders, Gun Runners, among other groups begin to set up permanent operations in New Vegas.

 **December:** The Warrior officially founds the "Pacific Confederation of States," announcing himself as President Colts. Officially names Paladin Lord Maximus as General, along with promotion of Paula to Paladin Lord.

 **December:** Numerous small uprisings begin to rise up across New California territories in response to the authoritarian policies of the Pacific Confederation, carving out small sectors of land from beneath the feet of Brotherhood troops. The Californian Insurgency officially begins.

 **2250**

 **January:** Johnathan Maxson and his force manage to reach Texas and survive the onslaught of The Legion, taking refuge in an old Vault-Tec bunker, paying respects to Head Paladin Rhombus who lost his life battling against Attis's Army. Expeditionary force composed of only ten survivors by this point.

 **February:** Refugee influx from New California to New Vegas proves to be the first major domestic test of the new government in its ability to effectively manage its territories. Governor Washington authorizes the creation of an official governing body, creating the first bureaucratic structures of the new regime.

 **August:** Californian Insurgency is ruthlessly put down by President Colts, with causalities ranging far beyond just the armed rebels who took up arms against the Pacific Confederation. Dissidents calling for President Colts to step down and restore the old republic are hunted down by President Colts forces and publicly executed over the next few months.

 **November:** Maxson and his expeditionary force continue their journey from Texas deep into the deep south, stopping inside various Pre-War military bases along the way to search for technology and information.

 **2251**

 **January:** Governor Washington orders the United Settlements Army to march north from Vegas to secure the towns of New Reno, Vault City, Gecko, and all the rest of the territory of the former State of Nevada. Officially dubbed "The Great Basin Campaign."

 **June:** Vertibird production facilities are now fully operational at Nellis Air Force base, Boomers inform Washington that a pre-war bomber is underneath Lake Mead and request for it to be retrieved. Efforts are initiated to raise the plane from the lake soon after.

 **August:** President Colts feeling secured with his gains in New California, launches the "The Northern States Campaign," intending to expand the NCR's land to the rest of California, Oregon, and Washington. Offensive operations officially begin in September of the year.

 **October:** After a lengthy two-month siege involving significant causalities to various mob affiliated forces in New Reno, New Reno surrenders to the United Settlements. Big Jesus Mordino of the Mordino Crime Family was publicly hanged after a military tribunal along with his lieutenants, and his drug lab burned to the ground. City is then placed under military jurisdiction, pending election of a new government once the campaign is over. Bishop Family and Salvatore Family denounce these moves, but provide no physical opposition to the new order. Wright Family maintains its silence.

 **November:** Vault City after hearing of the Siege of New Reno, opts to negotiate with the United Settlements rather then force a confrontation. Vault City formally annexed into the United Settlements towards the middle of the month, but government structure allowed to remain in effect. Gecko formally surrenders under a similar deal, requesting that the United Settlement take a strong stance against Anti-Ghoul sentiment which is agreed upon in exchange for the towns annexation.

 **2252**

 **February:** Eastern portions of Nevada are conquered and the Great Basin Campaign officially comes to an end, however raiders begin to attack troop supply lines to disrupt civil and military operations.

 **May:** REPCONN facilities officially staffed and fortified, becoming new research centers for the United Settlements. Robert House personally sends a request to Washington to isolate the space elements of REPCONN to him alone, which was granted.

 **June:** Robots officially begin to be augmented to general patrol and garrison duties within the United Settlements military. Causalities sustained by military operations begin to drop significantly on fronts. Counter-attacks on raider bases across the region ordered, and extended even into the neighboring State of Utah to decimate the groups for good.

 **July:** Washington orders that a cure for the Super Mutants be found to either transform them back into normal humans, or to cure their psychological deficiencies. Doctor Henry is given lead on the project.

 **September:** Pacific Confederation troops annexes all territory previously owned by the State of California, and begins it's first operations in the northern territories of Oregon. However, unstable temperatures slow the advance and lead to significant losses. Conscription extended to replace losses leading to massive morale drops across the military.

 **October:** Raider attacks across United Settlements territory drop, giving rise to the legitimacy of the new government. Military operations begin to wind down, and civil operations to rebuild infrastructure commence with few delays.

 **2253**

 **January:** Local elections are finally held in New Reno after the lifting of the military authority, the crime families begin to field candidates, but the Wright Family manage to win the electorate. Much to the dissatisfaction of the other families. Claims of election fraud are thrown around, but never proven.

 **February:** Arroyo comes under full siege from the Pacific Confederation. General Maximus lead the Pacific Confederation into battle against The Chosen One's Arroyo forces. Arroyo falls to the Pacific Confederation, but The Chosen One is nowhere to be found after the battle.

 **April:** Basic utilities begin to become available in the United Settlements thanks to developments by Mr. House as Hoover Dam begins supplying electricity to many settlements under the banner of the regime, and HELIOS One is also serving at full capacity. Radiation free running water begins to return to standard life, and major roads and highways are rebuilt and maintained for safe trade across the region.

 **June:** Maxson and his expeditionary force reach Cape Canaveral Florida, but finds it completely destroyed. They then proceed to set up a new base of operations in Patrick Air Force Base, with the remaining eight members of the expeditionary team.

 **September:** The State of Oregon officially is annexed by the Pacific Confederation with heavy causalities, with the final leg of the campaign moving into Washington State.

 **December:** President Colts declares a new "Mass Education," campaign in the Pacific Confederation with the goals being to ensure unity among the population and human race. Children are forcefully separated from their parents and placed into various camps for educational refinement much to the distaste of the families.

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 **United Settlements Government Structure**

 **Legislative Branch**

United Settlements Congress

Library of Congress

Government Printing Office

 **Executive Branch**

Executive Office of the Governor

Office of the Governor

National Security Council

Office of Personnel Management

National Communications Agency

Department of Industry and Commerce

Secretary of Industry and Commerce

Environmental Protection Agency

National Economics Library

Economic Development Administration

Patent and Trademark Office

Census Bureau

Department of Defense

Secretary of Defense

Department of the Army

United Settlements Army

United Settlements Army Air Corp

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Defense Intelligence Agency

United Settlements Secret Service

Department of Education

Secretary of Education

Office of Instruction and Patriotism

Department of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Administration for Children and Families

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Department of Justice

Attorney General

United Settlements Marshals

United Settlements Attorneys

 **Judicial Branch**

United Settlements Supreme Court

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 **United Settlements Congress** \- The United Settlements Congress is the unofficial continuation of the United States Congress. It is comprised of two chambers, the House of Representatives and The Senate, with the House being elected by popular vote among citizens every two years, and members of The Senate being appointed by the Governor for a lifetime appointment. The House is comprised of nine members, and The Senate is comprised of five, making the Congress only fourteen people.

 **Library of Congress** \- The Library of Congress is the archive database of the United Settlements. Run by a Librarian of Congress, it manages all record keeping and files of the United Settlements Government.

 **Government Printing Office** \- The Government Printing Office prints and binds documents produced by and for the government, including the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Executive Office of the Governor, executive departments, and independent agencies. Currently staffed and managed by Representatives of Congress.

 **Executive Office of the Governor** \- The Executive Office of the Governor is the head of the Executive Branch of the United Settlements. It houses the governor, cabinet, and agencies that direct the operation of the government.

 **Office of the Governor** \- The Governor of the United Settlements is appointed by the Senate under the Executive Authority & Centralization Act of 2250. The Governor is a lifetime appointment, only subject to impeachment by the House and must be tried in the Senate for "High Crimes & Misdemeanors." Authority similar to the old United States President in all regards.

 **National Security Council** \- The National Security Council is the principal forum used by the governor for consideration of national security, military matters, and foreign policy matters with senior national security advisors and cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the Governor. It is comprised of the Governor, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, and the Secretary of Industry & Commerce, although other participants may be requested.

 **Office of Personnel Management** \- The Office of Personnel Management is responsible for all private staff of the governor including secretaries, chefs, medical services, etc. It is responsible for clearing people to work with the governor, and managing security clearances of the government.

 **National Communications Agency** \- The National Communications Agency is the unofficial successor to the pre-war White House Communications Agency, in handling all broadcasting affairs of the government for the general welfare and for the governor's pleasure. Staffed jointly by civilians and military officials.

 **Department of Industry & Commerce** \- The Department of Industry & Commerce is responsible for developing and executing executive directives related to farming, forestry, food, industry, employment, and economic growth. It is considered an executive department, and answers to the governor.

 **Secretary of Industry & Commerce** \- The Secretary of Industry & Commerce is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and manages the affairs of the department.

 **Environmental Protection Agency** \- The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for conducting research and analysis of farming related projects in the post-apocalyptic wasteland and making appropriate recommendations for vegetation and nutrition in regards to the general welfare of the United Settlements. Also responsible for conservation of natural resources, enforcement of economic regulations, and supervision of nuclear and waste material.

 **National Economics Library** \- The National Economics Library is responsible for storing and archiving all information relating to the department.

 **Economic Development Administration** \- The Economic Development Administration is responsible for economic development of the United Settlements, monetary affairs, and general labor.

 **Patent and Trademark Office** \- The Patent and Trademark Office is responsible for patent and trademark registration in regards to copyright protections.

 **Census Bureau** \- The Census Bureau is responsible for collecting census data on the population, and keeping public record on movements and residency.

 **Department of Defense** \- The Department of Defense is responsible for all matters relating to the security and defense of the nation. It is considered an executive department, and answers to the governor.

 **Secretary of Defense** \- The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and manages the affairs of the department.

 **Department of the Army** \- The Department of the Army is responsible for the management and upkeep of the land forces of the military, and its command structure. Run by a Secretary of the Army.

 **United Settlements Army** \- The United Settlements Army is the unofficial successor to the United States Army, and operates in similar manner. Run by a General of the Army.

 **United Settlements Army Air Corp** \- The United Settlements Army Air Corp is the unofficial successor to the United States Air Force, and handles all matters associated with military aviation. Run by a General of the Army.

 **Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency** \- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military.

 **Defense Intelligence Agency** \- The Defense Intelligence Agency is responsible for coordinating all intelligence received by the Army, Secret Service, and other elements to prepare intelligence reports for the governor and defend the nation from subterfuge.

 **United Settlements Secret Service** \- The United Settlements Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the governor and important officials, along with carrying out special operations on direct order from the governor.

 **Department of Education** \- The Department of Education is responsible for the education of citizens and children. It is considered an executive department, and answers to the governor.

 **Secretary of Education** \- The Secretary of Education is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and manages the affairs of the department.

 **Office of Instruction and Patriotism** \- The Office of Instruction and Patriotism is responsible for all education matters within the government. And manages and supervises all learning institutions and programs throughout the territories owned by the United Settlements.

 **Department of Health and Human Services** \- The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for all health affairs and social services.

 **Secretary of Health and Human Services** \- The Secretary of Health and Human Services is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and manages the affairs of the department.

 **Administration for Children and Families** \- The Administration for Children and Families is responsible for all housing and family affairs.

 **Center for Disease Control and Prevention** \- The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is responsible for all medical affairs, and disease prevention efforts in regards to food and drugs.

 **Department of Justice** \- The Department of Justice is responsible for judicial and treasury affairs. It is considered an executive department, and answers to the governor.

 **Attorney General** \- The Attorney General is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, and manages the affairs of the department.

 **United Settlements Attorneys** \- The Bureau of United Settlements Attorneys is responsible for managing the attorneys and licensing of legal analysts. Purely ceremonial, with no real power to prosecute unless directed by the governor. Delegated to nominal duties of a lower-tier public defender.

 **United Settlements Marshals** \- The United Settlements Marshals is responsible for executing government arrest warrants, and serving out judiciary law enforcement functions across the state. Previously called the Desert Rangers, now renamed to the United Settlements Marshals following tradition of the original Marshals. Also manages government prisons.

 **United Settlements Supreme Court** \- The United Settlements Supreme Court is an unofficial descendant of the United States Supreme Court, with a small board of three judges appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Serving lifetime terms, the Supreme Court has been delegated to only dealing with cases of treason, espionage, and high crimes against the government making it only a nominally effective body.

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Alright, this is where we're going to begin. If you haven't realized already, I tend to try and keep these government structures as realistic as I possibly can for two reasons. One, if anyone decides to make some off-shoot stories (Which may even be better then the main fic, who knows?), I want it to be rather consistent with what I'm making already and would like to provide a baseline. Two, it helps me organize my agencies and departments in order to quickly refer back to them if needed and keep my storylines rather consistent without making things up as I go along. We'll be starting from the year 2254, so this will be a five year jump from Episode I which if you haven't read it and are just coming into this story I highly recommend for you to go back and read it before reading this one for a lot of context. As for people who remember my old story, I'm finally delivering you a **PROPER** next addition. It took an entire year, but we're going to do it. And you can expect the first chapter to be out hopefully sometime this week. I hope you enjoy it! And of course, leave any of your comments in the reviews as I do read them and enjoy the feedback.

 **Disclaimer:** I cannot guarantee super frequent updates, so expect them to be very sporadic as I only write when I'm in the mood or else I won't put as much effort into the story I'm trying to tell. I'd rather a story take forever to finish the way I like it, then to push a rushed product. So if there is time gaps between chapters I apologize, but it's the way it has to be.


	2. Chapter I: Journals of Glory & War

_January 1_ _st_ _, 2254_

 _War, it really never changes. In the backwind times of ancient human civilization, war was used as a mean to conquer territories and riches for an empire. War has been used to destroy or build entire civilizations on the backs of youthful spirits, building their own heaven using death as the bricks for the foundation of their eternal societies, or so they thought. War has been used to settle old scores of wounds inflicted by generations long past. War has been used in times of desperation, it has been used for greed, hell it has probably has been used for even the most carnal of human pleasures._

 _On top of the reasons for the war, the technology made for it always maintains the same purpose. From something as simple as a pointed spear to which to ram through your enemies, to a sword where you can slash through your opponents with a decisive swing, to the arrows which can fly through the air at speeds unanticipated, to the bullets of a rifle, the airplanes of the sky, the motorized cavalry of artillery. All serving a singular purpose, but taking multiple forms. All for the purpose of killing and destroying your opponent._

 _I have seen the effects of such conflicts. Recalled pictures of the conflicts from the photos grouped inside the pages of history. Images of the immense suffering of individuals starving in the streets because the government directed all surplus food to be directed towards the war effort, audio and video recordings of the experiences of troopers on the battlefield attempting to simply survive to return to their families after being conscripted into a fight not of their making. War for all purposes of description, was hell._

 _Yet, if the experience of war was so harrowing, then why does humanity seem to indulge in it for over most of its own natural history? Centuries of wars being fought across vast civilizations and places, with only decades of peace to break the stalemates. Perhaps these are questions I may never know the answer to, nor may anyone else._

 _The New California Republic, is no longer the power of the wastes being replaced by a more authoritarian Pacific Confederation. Ever since the Brotherhood-NCR war ended in a decisive victory for the Brotherhood, the Mojave has been handling mass emigration from the old NCR lands of people trying to flee from the new regime. Women, children, and men of all ages and backgrounds who refused to live in fear packed up what little they had for hopes of some kind of a life in which they could be left alone and be afforded basic safety._

 _I guess, that this was one of my reasons for why I decided to expand more into the northern regions of the old state. The Great Basin Campaign, I called it based on the fact that north of the Mojave was the Great Basin Desert, which covered the entire northern portion of Nevada and thus seemed appropriate. The operation comprised of four hundred soldiers, and proceeded to secure the northern towns in Nevada both pre-war and post-war. I had heard from scouting reports, and talk among the merchants conducting trade around Vegas that there were quite a few towns such as Vault City, New Reno, Gecko, etc that would be of value to add into our sphere and they became one of the focus points of the campaign._

 _The campaign although meant to seize territory, also had some major strategic objectives for me to accomplish. One, I wanted to show the wasteland that the United Settlements was capable of launching offensive operations and thus could be seen as a powerful force to the average wastelander. Two, I was unaware at the time and still am in all honesty of what exactly this self-declared President Colts ambitions are, and I knew that if I didn't begin expansion from around Vegas I wouldn't have a chance if his intentions were one of conquest for an empire. And three, having the entire state of Nevada under a single banner accomplishes one small feat in our road to restoring the United States and it was best to gain the territory early when it wasn't really defended, then to try and do it at a later date._

 _Overall, I would say after reading the reports from the conflict that it was very successful. Casualty reports only mention that in total forty troopers succumbed to death at the conclusion of the campaign with an additional thirty injured. Seventy percent of those injuries came from the Siege of New Reno, where the mobsters lead by the Mordino Family attempted to outlast the United Settlements Army by barricading buildings inside New Reno and placing men with guns in strategic positions, along with fortifying parts of the perimeter of the city with whatever they could find. My army, taking in the situation decided against a frontal assault insisting that it would be a waste of resources and manpower and instead opted to enforce a blockade of the city from the outside world._

 _Trade caravans were re-routed away from the city much to the annoyance of the companies who controlled them, and failed to regain any compensation for monetary losses. Travelers were ordered to move along from the city, and all shipments of food were completely stopped. This had the unintended effect on nearby communities who relied on trade with Reno to petition the soldiers to allow them to continue trade with the city, but to no avail. The Siege of New Reno lasted a total of two months, where towards the end in a sign of desperation the Mordinos launched a major assault with mob loyalists against army positions. Initially it looked as if the Mordinos had caught the blockade forces by surprise, attacking in the middle of the night with sub-machine guns, small arms, and some low-tech rifles however their luck soon began to ran out once the Stormtroopers began to regain control of the situation and organize a proper defense._

 _In the end, it was a slaughter. The Mordinos had overplayed their hand, and although they did do some damage initially, it was repulsed by the more experienced veterans of the United Settlements who had been serving since before the oil rigs destruction. Both raising morale of the troops, and completely crushed the spirit and will of the city of New Reno to continue their defenses. With the food supplies dwindling quickly due to the population, and a lack of options for a second attack when the first proved fatal, the remaining families surrendered the city entirely to the United Settlements. When I received word of the surrender, I admit that I jumped with joy. It was the first major victory of my army, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for its accomplishment, but knew the work was far from done._

 _The question on everyone's mind at this point, was what to do with the city now that it had been captured. Usually whenever a settlement had been captured, we moved quickly to establish a local government and ensure elections became common place for the position of mayor. However, this was only done in small towns captured due to their low risk of potential revolt against the United Settlements and New Reno still maintained its pre-war status of territory due to it being spared from the nuclear war, and thus was one of the biggest towns in post-war America. Couple that on with the fact that the city had never really had organized leadership since the Great War, being run by a group of self-proclaimed mafiosos who kept the city divided into their own sections._

 _On top of the fact that the city had not been run by an organized structure of governance for a while, each group had their own unique ideas for what they wanted the city to be and they often conflicted with each other in one way or another. I knew that if we allowed for a local government to form so early, it would quickly descend into civil war as the remaining families would put up a candidate and each would be willing to win the election at any cost, and we had no faith at the time that the new mayor of New Reno coming from one of these families would be very friendly to efforts by the United Settlements to restore the principles of law and order into the region and thus diminish their power. And thus, it was decided that military rule of the area would be implemented and maintained until conditions were more favorable._

 _One of the more interesting parts of the New Reno, was the military tribunal of the leader of the Mordino families Big Jesus Mordino. Now, we knew that all the families were involved in the defense of New Reno, but we know that the biggest contributor was Mordino himself and we also knew from interrogations of captured prisoners of war that it was Mordino who ordered the assault on the army blockades. Not only was Mordino the biggest advocate of the defense of the town, but he was also one of the biggest crime lords in the land with his influence even extending into some of the New California towns with his Jet sells and thus trying him under a military tribunal and then his execution would send a chilling message to the remaining crime lords of New Reno, and to surrounding communities in that the United Settlements would be holding anyone accountable if they stand in the way of their vision._

 _I guess one could argue with this mentality, that we're in a way no better then the New California Republic in how they annexed settlement after settlement even if they had to resort to unethical tactics, but in this case the ends justify the means in my view and it's temporary. When the United States is re-established in all its glory there will be clean drinking water, safety and security to all citizens of the republic, and opportunity. All the things that the New California Republic can't guarantee, nor had the expertise or knowledge of how to do. And that is why they no longer exist. They had grown to not see the bigger picture. Even the Brotherhood for its isolation inside of its bunkers, at least wanted to spread their influence and power over different regions of the United States and not concentrate in a single area, something I can admire. And when they arrived from out east, the NCR was wholly unprepared for the enemy that they were to face and everything they had been working for was destroyed and replaced by something far more authoritarian._

 _Back to the campaign in the Great Basin regions though, once New Reno had fallen to my army the settlements of Gecko and Vault City weren't far off and they both decided to join on favorable terms which was graciously accepted. Vault City was allowed to keep their system of indentured servitude, which although distasteful, did concede quite a lot of technical information from their databases and abolished its discriminatory policies of citizenship in order for people to enter the town which I'll take as a victory. Gecko was quick to fall too, with the Ghouls only request was for the government to recognize their rights as equal to that of any other citizen and that anti-discrimination would be a goal of the government which I was all too happy to oblige._

 _Truth be told, I never really agreed with the Enclave narrative of "Muties on the mainland," or sub-human bullshit. I can see value even in the most deformed individual in the wasteland, and to declare them inferior on the grounds of their unique attributes of being a Ghoul or Super Mutant or whatever would just be a waste of a valuable resource in my opinion and we must not be wasteful of our resources in these trying times._

 _Damn, I keep rambling on about other things and I never finish my New Reno story. After New Reno was now under the direction and administration of the military, it was quick to begin appointment of a City Marshal in order to begin building up the local town police force. This would normally have also be done under the direction of a mayor, but it was feared that if we allowed that to develop the police force of the town would be compromised by corruption and would serve as a hit squad for the family in power at any given time, which was undesirable. We sent some of our Marshals into the town to take over some basic duties of policing and begin to train and grow a small force instilled with core values of patriotism, duty, and selflessness. With the training of the police force completing within the coming months, the military appoints an official sheriff of New Reno who takes over the functions of local law enforcement away from the military, leaving them to pull out troops over time as the sheriff becomes the brunt of enforcement action to lend credibility to the new police force._

 _The Salvatores Family was pissed with these new developments, seeing this new force as a threat to its economic interests and with an influx of old Mordino family members attempted to thwart the forces attempts at policing the town. The Salvatores attempted to assassinate the sheriff by planting an explosive device in his office on a timed detonation. The sheriff at the time and still the current sheriff of New Reno today was a man called Gill Tatum. Now Mr. Tatum was well aware of the Salvatores plot to assassinate him in advance, thanks to his connections with some of his well implanted moles in the Salvatores family. After the death of Big Jesus Mordino, the influence of their family waned to the point that Mr. Tatum was able to destroy the drug operations of the family by launching a raid on the ranch where Jet was being produced and in turn, destroying the financial operations of the Mordino family and soon after the destruction of the drug labs in Reno, lead a posse into the Desparado bar to arrest the remaining leaders of the crime family._

 _The low-ranking members of the organization, now no longer had ties to the family and Tatum used this to his advantage. Knowing that these members would not wish to leave the vice den that is New Reno, and knowing that they had no intention of going straight, he deduced that they would either join the Bishops or Salvatores. The Bishops because they still pull the strings on some local businesses here in town and keep their operations under wraps pretty well, or the Salvatores who was the most powerful yet not the size of the Bishops. By offering small deals on certain types of criminal activities, such as pardons from jailtime and reductions in sentences for friends, he was able to convince some of these old Mordino family members to be informants for Tatum and thus he was always able to keep an eye on the two remaining families that he considered a threat._

 _Tatum, acting on the information cleared the building and managed to ensure that there were no casualties from the resulting explosion from his office, rendering the assassination attempt as a failure. He then requested support from the remaining military forces in the town to bolster his local police force with additional troopers in order to arrest Mr. Salvatore. With the additional support, Mr. Salvatore was taken into custody and also put on a military tribunal to which he was sentenced to death by hanging. His body was hanged from the top of the Salvatore's bar, where the citizens of the town were able to see first hand that the old order of things in New Reno was coming to an end, as this resulted in the Salvatore's also being fully dismantled by the United Settlements leaving only the Wrights and Bishops in the town._

 _It was due to the efforts of Sheriff Tatum that I decided to lift the military administration of the town, and allow for local elections. Although in the end, one of the remaining families won the election with their preferred candidate they were careful not to show any disobedience or disloyalty to the new order and ensured that schools would be built, infrastructure improved, and that they would govern with the interest of the people in mind which was enough to satisfy me._

 _I hope that the New Reno experience can serve in the future as an inspiring story for the history books, but I can definitely see how it could be painted in a poor light. It is never a great nation building story when it's built on the bones of your opposition, however our intentions are indeed pure. And not in a genocidal context, if you know what I mean._

 _Regardless of the perception of this story, we cannot lose sight of our objectives and we are making great strides of progress in order to ensure that we met them. Secretary of Industry and Commerce Mr. House has been making great strides in his economic programs, managing to ensure the agricultural sector has a stream of fresh water in order to produce crops for food production, to ensuring the establishment of some light and medium manufacturing centers in the heart of the New Vegas region. According to my reports, Vertibird production is proceeding, but with some delays due to the scavenging of parts still being a major part of the process. Mr. House has assured me that these delays will only be temporary, as with the northern regions now secure mining operations can be expanded into various sectors of the state to eradicate these supply deficiencies. The same is also true for the new robotics factories that have bene opened under direct management from Mr. House in order to supplement various security and military functions._

 _Companies have also begun to set up permanent offices in our territory, after the collapse of the New California Republic. Crimson Caravan, the Gun Runners, Water Merchants, you name them all have offices operating in Freeside which has now grown under the leadership of The Kings who had been receiving support from me personally in their attempts to help the downtrodden peoples of the town, coordinating with the Followers of Apocalypse in the Old Mormon Fort. In short, business is beginning to really enter a boom period and with an increase of economic development, will come an increase of initiative that will be the backbone of our economy, however I can't end this without talking about the political developments._

 _I had to establish a basic bureaucracy to help run the territory that we had not only annexed into our land, but to manage the ones we already held a firm grip on. These were mostly basic agencies, but included some departments, a legislative branch of government to give more of a democratic feel to our republic split between a popular vote House of Representatives and an appointed Senate, and a Supreme Court. I also transformed the Desert Rangers into the United Settlements Marshals, with an actual stated purpose rather then just to be your roving guns. All these new agencies and departments will help me manage the growing concerns of my growing empire and will ensure the swift implementation of policies and procedures to bring us closer and closer to our final goal._

 _Oh well, I think that's all I have to say in this entry. I've just received word that my Vertibird is fueled and ready for my trip to New Reno. I'm supposed to be giving a speech in person to the people, highlighting the transformation of the town since we came to be in charge. Can't say I'm super excited, but I do understand the importance of such addresses. Afterwards, I'm going to be visiting some of our northern military installations to give a boost of morale to the troops for their hard work in combatting raiders and facilitating the civil development operations for the betterment of our society. You know, I started this off saying that war never changes. Well you know what else never changes? Politics? I wonder why that is…_

 _Signed,_

 _Governor Washington_

 _Journal Log #01_

* * *

 _Mr. New Vegas POV_

"You're listening to Radio New Vegas, your little jukebox in the Mojave Wasteland, now with extensions into the northern regions. I am Mr. New Vegas, and I'm here for you. We got some news for you coming right up. The Gun Runners have recently signed off on a new deal with the Department of Defense to deliver up to 1,000 new rifles service rifles to be put into service with the United Settlements military. A spokesperson for the Department of Defense clarifies the deal as a great moment for the relationship between private industry and government, and hopes that cooperation such as this will continue into the near future and produce favorable results for all parties involved.

In addition to this, the Census Bureau has recently released its figures on the population of the State of Nevada. Current figures hold it at around one-hundred and eighty thousand people counting in the mass influx of emigration from the Pacific Confederation of States in the west. The Secretary of Health and Human Services estimates that out of the figure reported from the Census Bureau, thirty-thousand of them still remain stranded in makeshift camps at various western checkpoints such as Mojave Outpost. In a statement released from the governors office, the situation is being resolved, but with the continued influx of refugees spacing and proportional living standards are becoming an issue and leading to delays in processing.

Those are your top stories, gunna play a song for you now and it's about a special someone you find only once in a blue moon."

The voice would then cut, and the radio would then tune in to play "Frank Sinatra Blue Moon."


	3. Chapter II: An Officer and a Gentlemen

_January 2_ _th_ _, 2254_

 _Ah, the Desperado Bar. Who would have thought that in the land out the outlaws, there would be a place with a posh sign out above the front door that would play host to some of the most vile criminal element this side of the wasteland? Me, that's who would've thought it. New Reno is a place of debauchery, of sin that must be cleansed from it's decadent clutches, and if need be consumed in a fiery hell like that old story of the bible. I think it's called Sodom and Gomorrah? God laid down punishment on those who were unclean, fallen, lost. It was a justifiable policy in my opinion, and shows commitment to true justice. My brand of justice._

"Hey Sheriff, are you still with us?" A voice said, sounding raspy in tone.

 _I looked up to the voice, then around the table. I was sitting in one of the stools at the front of the bar, with a bottle of whiskey on the counter in front of me. The voice belonged to Herb, the new bartender of the place. And he stood over me like a hawk, clearly worried about me in my day dreaming state of mind._

"Yea, I'm still with you. Sorry, got a lot on my mind Herb." I looked back up to him to catch his slight smirk, before he gave a nod back to me.

A ghoul he was, but I didn't hate ghouls. The way I see it, everyone can be a piece of shit one way or another. Least a ghoul is honest about it upfront.

"I can understand what you mean, if you need something just let me know." Herb said, before reaching underneath the counter and takes out a small rag as he begins to wipe down his glasses and bar.

 _Good guy that Herb, that's why I helped get him this gig for the bar. I still remember the details of the sale. United Settlements forces descended on the city like a plague, eradicating what it saw as the undesirable elements of the town. The Mordinos got the brunt force of it. Well deserved ass kicking if you ask me. Once the head honcho from the old territories down south got the hanging rope, and I personally saw to the dismantling of the remnants there was now a vacant bar which sat close to the center of town._

Tatum reached towards the counter as he clasped his hand around his whiskey, taking down a few sips before returning it to its original position on the counter, giving a slight of hand towards his mouth to wipe.

 _Whiskey so good it'll make you want to slap your momma, but if you knew what's good for you it may be easier to try and slap a deathclaw if you had a mother like mine, but I can't get sidetracked. A vacant bar now sat in the town, and I knew the most obvious people to want to inhabit it would be the Wrights since they dealt in the alcohol trade. However, we were under the military administration and I knew the garrison commander wouldn't sign off on giving favoritism towards a particular group and thus I found an independent candidate in Herb._

 _Herb was a ghoul who wondered into town maybe two weeks before the siege of the town, and had gathered a reputation of being a rather honest person in his dealings. Didn't associate with the families, but did hang out in the bars and brawled in the Jungle Gym in his spare time and from what I heard he even knocked quite a few challengers out of the ring. During the siege, I saw that he would try and help the downtrodden homeless of the town by sharing rations of food and water and simply tried to be someone of aid during the trying times. I knew if anyone could get signed off for the property, it would be him once I made the case to the garrison commander. And low and behold, he now owns the bar and provides me with discounts for the work I do. Sweet deal, eh?_

"Herb, I'm about to get out of here. Just put the whiskey on the tab. I'll pay you out tomorrow." Tatum said, as he pushed himself out of the seat and grabbed the whiskey bottle on the counter.

"Alright sheriff, planning on going to the governor's speech? Security has been getting a bit tighter around here because of it." Herb said, continuing to wipe down the counter.

Tatum simply shrugged, "I don't entirely know yet. We'll see how the day progresses before I decide whether or not to see the bossman of Vegas."

Tatum continued out the front of the establishment onto the streets of New Reno. Virgin street, he noticed had gotten an increase of security for the upcoming event Herb had referenced and it gave him a metallic taste in his mouth.

 _Do they not believe I can handle the threats of New Reno without the need of a huge security force? Ever since I was appointed to keep order in this town, I have done nothing but ensure that order was kept and upholded with a firm yet just grip. And the second Mr. Hotshot from Vegas decides to come here for a visit all my work just seems to be forgotten and security is just so heavily increased. How embarrassing right?_

Along the light poles of the street, showed banners and posters of the governor with messages laced with propaganda material in order to entice the populace of the town towards loyalty for the United Settlements over serving the selfish nature of humanity. This was mainly an initiative that came from the Office of Instruction and Patriotism and endorsed by the Defense Department to help drive recruitment numbers up.

As he walked down the road, it only seemed to suffocate him more. The Secret Service had already set up various checkpoints within the city supported by some United Settlements Marshals and Army personnel to help watch for threats to the governor and report anyone who had been deemed suspicious to be brought in for questioning.

Taking another sip of his whiskey, he continued down the road towards the old Salvatore bar which has now been transformed into the new station for the New Reno Sheriff's Office. Another seizure of property that occurred after the death of Mr. Salvatore.

Entering through the front door, a familiar sight emerged. After taking over the place, renovations were needed to make it into a viable location. In the front room all the bar decorations were removed and replaced with desks and standard chairs, with the old bar counter itself serving as the desk for the duty sergeant. The room behind the counter which used to be a meeting place for family operations was now transformed into a makeshift holding cell for criminals, with the door being replaced with bars to allow the area to be seen from the front room.

As far as operations went, the duty sergeant would assign desks to more senior deputies and would keep track of most operations in your standard duty day usually by the chalkboard that hung on the wall next to the counter. It was a welcomed addition, as you could read the daily announcements, patrol assignments, and partner assignments all in one place without having to go to the duty sergeant for every concern. Unless you were a concerned citizen trying to report a crime, that was.

Inside the station the smell of various drinks and tobacco filled the air, as deputies worked away at their desks completing their assigned tasks. Currently, there was only thirty members of the department, but this was expected to change in the upcoming weeks to bring the numbers of the department to fifty in total to police the entire town of New Reno. A development that was being closely overseen by Sheriff Tatum to ensure that his force was both sufficient in number and skilled in its training.

"Goodafternoon sir, already drinking?" The duty sergeant said from behind his counter, as he glanced at the near empty bottle of whiskey carried in the sheriff's hand.

"Its never too early to drink Fig, everyone has their own problems they got to deal with. And me, I prefer to drown them and focus on my work." Tatum replied, downing the last bit of his whiskey before tossing it into a nearby waste bin.

"If you say so sir, I received a message for you from the marshal's office today though. It's pertaining to the governor's speech." Fig replied, holding out piece of paper towards the sheriff.

 _Of course, there was a message about the governor's speech, that's all everyone wants to talk about around this town isn't it?_ "Thank you, I'll take it up to my office." Tatum said, approaching the duty sergeant taking the letter before making his way up the stairs.

Moving up the stairs past the busy sections of the station, stood the last two important sections of the station. The first was the Armory, which the sheriff's personal secretary managed and issued equipment from. The lockers lining the back wall, with a desk seated right in front. And to make matters worse, the sheriffs office was the room right in front of the setup which was a perk of being the sheriff. You didn't have to share the space downstairs, as you get a spacious office upstairs and control the issuance of equipment. But that's just part of the job isn't it?

"Oh, sheriff. I didn't expect you to come in for another twenty minutes. I hope everything is going well." A woman who sat at the secretary's desk said, smiling to Tatum as he climbed up the last step onto the floor.

"Yes, Janice. Just more brahmin crap about the governors visit. I still don't understand why these pinheads don't just trust me to handle the security and why it needs to be usurped from me. How am I to project an image of strength and determination to this town, if I can't even be trusted to have a sufficient enough presence in the planning of security?" Tatum asked, moving towards his office door.

Janice looked down to her desk, proceeding to glimpse at a few letters addressed to the sheriff from a variety of parties, as she thought to herself for a moment.

"I don't entirely proclaim to know the reasons behind why you're being shut out sir, but maybe they're looking for proven loyalty. It did take you a while to get where you are now with them and maybe they don't wish to take any chances on the security arrangements." Janice replied.

 _Don't wish to take any chances on the security arrangements. Right…so they don't trust me. What more do I have to do to prove myself?_ "Thank you Janice, I'll be in my office. Please don't send any visitors." Tatum said, before unlocking his office and entering, shutting it soon after lightly as to not draw any additional attention.

 _Proven loyalty…what am I a pawn? Am I supposed to go and die for that brat onstage today? Am I supposed to be his little puppy dog that will sniff out his insecurities, and hide them from prying eyes? Ugh, this is frustrating. I need a drink…_

Inside the office, it had a new distinct look from the old style. No longer was there a bed, or amenities of an average bedroom. Now there was a desk, various shelves for archives, a personal locker of equipment, and multiple different posters and messages authorized by the government hanging around on the walls.

Tatum made his way to his desk, taking a seat before reaching into one of its drawers as he pulled out another bottle of whiskey and began to take a few sips.

Looking around his office, he thought about the speech. It shouldn't be too much longer before it was to start and although he had decided to himself that he wouldn't be there personally, he would at least give it a listen via radio. The government had been working aggressively to restore media infrastructure such as telephone lines, and radio signals in order to broadcast more effectively. And a speech from the governor would be one worth broadcasting attention.

Setting the whiskey bottle down on his desk, he proceeded to reach for the box radio which sat on the edge of his desk as he slowly began to tune through the frequencies looking for the correct one before settling on Mr. New Vegas who always stayed the most up to date with the governments works.

" _Alright, let's see how this goes."_ Tatum said, leaning back in his chair with his bottle of whiskey and he listened to the incoming broadcasts.

* * *

 _New Reno West Side_

"Henderson, keep it straight now. Only a few moments till game time." The soldier said, standing at the low ready position with his rifle.

"Oh, I'm keeping it straight buddy. You expecting anything serious to happen Emmet?" Henderson replied, turning his head over to his friend.

In the years since joining the United Settlements Army back in 2248, and managing to pass basic training Emmet and Henderson have only remained close as friends, and squad mates. Newly promoted to the rank of Sergeant, he has only become more dedicated and professional in his demeanor both towards his squad mates and his superiors. His character being reformed from an average wastelander looking to survive in a harsh world, to a soldier ready to blast his way through the hardships without hesitation with the discipline and camaraderie he had sorely lacked in his past life.

Henderson had been doing really well with his new position, becoming a corporal in the ranks and continuing to assist Emmet with the hardships he encounters. Even though Henderson was more physically fit for the roles they were placed in, Henderson always saw the important leadership qualities of Emmet and thus deferred to his judgement in most affairs while he helped provide the muscle.

"Nah, I'm not expecting anything and for all our sakes you shouldn't either. Where the hell are Kenny and Santina?" Emmet said, glancing around the street for them.

Henderson would point down the road to two other troopers who stood at the end, giving a handsignal which was returned in quick fashion.

"At the end of the street. Command wants us to keep the street rather covered, because we're not gunna have a lot of room to maneuver of things go wrong. I'm sure they'll get along." Henderson said before giving a smile, watching Emmet give a slight nod soon after.

Kenny and Santina had also remained with the two since basic training, almost sticking together like glue. Santina had become an excellent sniper, while Kenny became the medic of their team. With Kenny's advantage of being a ghoul and his courage in the face of the enemy, it made him the perfect candidate for being their field medic. And Santina almost had an eagle eye for perfection. One time telling the team that "the only difference between an artist and a sniper was detail, and that the only difference were the stakes, hers being higher."

In summary, they were an interesting set of people with their own dynamics and specifications. And this served the purpose of the United Settlements nicely.

"Emmet, I believe the event is about to start. I just got word that the Vertibird has landed and the governor is approaching the stage." Henderson said, gripping onto his weapon as he scans over the crowd of people gathering and approaching from all directions.

"Stay sharp then. If you see anything that looks strange, be sure to call it out." Emmet said, as he glanced toward the direction of the stage and the gathering crowd.

Although people had been going through various security checks and checkpoints all throughout town, it wasn't necessarily hard to smuggle things into the event and thus the best security that could be afforded is simply being close to the target and stopping whatever seems to be a threat in the moment. Around the perimeter as hundreds of people began to crowd onto the streets, security personnel from the Secret Service and Army swept the crowd with dogs and roving patrols looking for the slightest hint of danger.

 _God, I hope this goes well._ Emmet thought to himself, but also wondered what the others may have been thinking at the moment.

Emmets squad had been assigned to assist with crowd control due to being stationed on the military garrison of the town. Having participating in The Great Basin campaign, their squad was on leave from fighting on the front lines and placed in a reserve role for their heroism in the earlier parts of the campaign. An easy assignment, but of course they were also called on any missions deemed of special importance such as this one without much warning or notice. Annoying, but fair.

As the murmurs of the crowd grew louder as the crowd grew, the makeshift wooden stage began to fill with various officials to be seated in the back from the podium. Secretary of Defense Judah Kreger of the United Settlements, Mayor of New Reno Bobby Wright, United Settlement Representative Jayden Lockhard, and Attorney General of the United Settlements and Ex-Chief Desert Ranger Floyd Devon all moved onto the stage and proceeded to take their seats.

After they were seated, Mayor Wright soon got up and made his way to the podium as he gave an opening speech welcoming the governor to their fine city and highlighted a few of his own achievements before sitting down to applause from the crowd. Afterwards, the governor approached the stand and began his speech which was being broadcasted via radio across the United Settlements territory in Nevada and possibly even into New California.

"Hey Emmet, how do you think Kreger and Devon feel about who they're seated next to?" Henderson nudged, glancing up to the stage.

"Well, I don't rightly know. Mayor Wright isn't the worst one however, even though he is in league with the Wright Family as a whole being a blood member, but he has been making improvements to the city. Lockhard on the other hand worries me. I'm sure you heard the rumors." Emmet replied, continuing to look at the crowd.

"Yea, how he's in the hands of the Bishop Family? He's obviously trying to curry favor with the Congress to ensure his business interests in Reno are protected." Henderson said, looking back to the crowd as well.

"Well those are rumors, Henderson. We don't rightly know for sure if he is in the hands of the Bishop Family or not, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was. Anyway, I don't think Kreger and Devon really try to worry about it. Kreger is focused on the affairs of war which I believe we'll have more of in the future, and Devon has bigger fish to fry. Although, I don't believe he likes the representative either." Emmet said.

The speech continued on by the governor without much interruption, as the roving patrols began to calm down to avoid causing unnecessary trouble in the crowd and Emmet and Henderson soon began to wander away from their original position as they kept their eyes locked on where people's hands where, but finding nothing out of the ordinary. Or so they thought.

A man had been slowly making his way through the crowd, slyly avoiding the roving patrols as their handlers continued to usher them away from the center of the crowd to avoid causing a ruckus. The man wore a long overcoat, and top hat as he approached the front of the crowd having a clear view of the stage.

"Hey, boys. Look towards the front of that stage, got a suspicious male." Emmet and Henderson heard on their radios, being transmitted to them by Santina who had moved position away from Kenny possibly to gain a vantage point.

The two looked towards the front of the crowd and sure enough, the mysterious man was there just staring at the podium where the governor was giving his speech.

"How do you want to approach this Emmet? Approaching from the sides might cause a disturbance if he is planning on doing something, and if he isn't then we'll be court martialed for disrupting the speech on an unnecessary provocation." Henderson said, watching Emmet study the scene.

Emmet thought about the words Henderson said, concluding that he was correct in his assessment. They didn't have any hard evidence that this man was doing anything suspicious, other then that he looked rather shady and had made his way to the front of the crowd.

"Radio Santina, and tell her to get a snipers aim on the man. If he attempts to rush the stage or pull out anything suspicious, take him down. I'll leave it up to her own judgement on what she'll deem suspicious and hope that the right call is made. We're in no position down here to approach it safely, so we don't have much choice." Emmet concluded, keeping his eyes on the man as Henderson proceeds to radio over to Santina.

The speech begins to come to a close, to applause from the crowd as the man follows suit. However as the clapping begins to come down, the man proceeds to rush the stage towards the podium.

Santina in quick succession manages to pierce his heart, sending him to the ground, however the damage has already been done. The man explodes at the base of the platform, removing the supports and collapsing everyone on the stage to the street below them. Security personnel began to quickly rush towards the stage to assist the wounded and evacuate key officials, but soon laser fire was heard coming from sections of the crowd.

"We got company boys, Henderson I want you to help protect the governor and secretary of defense, while I organize with Kenny and the remaining security forces. Hurry!" Emmet said, watching as Henderson gave a quick nod before rushing toward the stage.

"Kenny, on me. Santina, take out any hostiles you see. Weapons free." Emmet commanded into his radio, as he proceeded to move into the now screaming crowd with Kenny not far behind.

 _Had to be on my shift of guard duty-…just had to be._ Emmet thought, as he proceeded to open fire on individuals with laser pistols who began shooting towards him.

* * *

 _New Reno Sheriff's Office_

Tatum had been listening to the coverage of the speech, as he was down to a little under half of whiskey left as he struggled to stay awake listening to a rather boring speech in his opinion. However, that quickly changed once it was being reported that a gunfight was happening in the streets between security forces and unknown assailants.

Responding to the commotion, Tatum jumped up from his chair and proceeded out to Janice.

"Janice, prepare to start issuing out equipment. We're about to head down to the west side of town to handle a large shootout. I'll inform the duty sergeant to send people up, and send them down. I'll go ahead and meet everyone there." Tatum said, quickly rushing down the stairs.

As he informed the duty sergeant of the situation, he gathered three deputies to quickly proceed upstairs and follow him to the scene as he was determined to get the situation under his control in his own way.

 _Remember when I talked about the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and the rightful punishment it received? The fiery hell that engulfed the city, wiping away the vestiges of the immoral? You know, I wondered if God simply caused The Great War to purify the world of its immoral standards. Nuclear hellfire raining down in all corners of the world to give humanity a restart to its woes and ills. Of course, I'll never know the answer to that question until I'm in the presence of the lord, but one could hope for his intention. If the Great War was gods way of purifying earth once again, then why does humanity repeat this horrible cycle of violence and vice?_

 _But I guess the answer is obvious isn't it? Humanity isn't meant to be saved, as it knows too much the psalms of enslavement. It's diseased to the core, and in need of refinement. A vaccine to destroy the virus. But does such a tool exist for such a feat? I'll have to mark it on my to do list to look into, after I deal with these vagrants tearing up my town._

* * *

 _Defense Intelligence Report – NR-02_

 _Topic: New Reno Security Situation_

 _Date: 12/15/2253_

 _Clearance Level: Secret_

New Reno sits in the newly conquered territories in the northern part of the pre-war State of Nevada, specifically in the old pre-war city of Reno in the west. Run by a Mayor Bobby Wright, third child of Ethyl and Orville Wright of the Wright Crime Family, he handedly won the local election due to a power-sharing agreement with the Bishop Family to which they will be allowed to rule over the affairs of the town as a local government with the Bishops endorsement, but the Wrights must endorse the Bishops for the newly created United Settlements Representative position for New Reno creating a power dynamic between the locally controlled Wright city, and the district controlled Bishop family. Early reports on the dynamics between the families seem to indicate that they are on decent terms, but still prefer to keep distance from each other. The situation between the families is rather stable, and it is believed shall remain that way.

On matters of the New Reno Sheriffs Office, created in the wake of capture of New Reno by the military administration it is led by Sheriff Gill Tatum who has been in his position since the establishment of the force. Generally, he is under the direction of Mayor Wright, however as Tatum has shown some tendencies of distrust of the United Settlements goals and mission, we have decided to keep him monitored by on the ground Defense Intelligence assets and well placed moles. Although the sheriff never questions or disrespects the authority, his dedication to the overall goals of the United Settlements lead us to believe that more time is necessary to truly evaluate his usefulness in the long run. Sheriff Tatum unbeknownst to us at the time, seems to be a frequent drinker and favorites the Desperado Bar to indulge in this habit. Although we have no reason to believe this is hindering his ability to conduct the duties he is entrusted to perform, we are curious as to the deeper reason(s) for why he indulges in alcohol whether it be personal trauma, or something more treasonous.

On the grand scheme of things, New Reno does seem to be improving in its general security status, however not all is well. The United Settlements Marshal Service has been noting an increase in smuggling activities across the Pacific Confederation border inbound to undisclosed locations in United Settlement territory, and it is unknown as to the reason why. Security has been increased in New Reno and Vault City, and assigned to local garrison commanders. Additional security sweeps have been encouraged among garrison forces in New Reno, and checkpoints have begun to be set up in preparation of the governors planned speech in January.

It is in the professional opinion of the Defense Intelligence Agency, that the governor should not attempt to give an appearance in the city of New Reno at this time until further information surfaces on the increase of smuggling operations, and the background checks on local security forces are formally completed. Risk of an assassination attempt has been determined to be medium in status, as there is no direct correlation between the smuggling and backgrounds of certain characters in the town to a planned assassination on the governor who appears to enjoy support from the populace. The Defense Intelligence Agency will begin working more closely with the Marshals to determine the destinations of the smuggling routes.

Signed,

Defense Analyst Sarah Paige

* * *

 **Authors Note**

Wow, another chapter. I didn't know when I would get around to this, but I did it! I'm experimenting with a different sort of writing technique and trying to work out the kinks of it, which you guys may or may not realize from my first story as I'm constantly trying to improve how this story is written. Also you may notice how these seem to be getting longer, as I'm trying to aim for at least three-thousand words (Although this chapter is near five-thousand) per chapter when my last goal was two-thousand. And hey, if you've read my previous story you would recognize some of the old characters by their name in the story and that's to signal a bit more development for them as they grow.

Also, I've finally got around to deciding how I want to structure this story and I can tell you that it won't simply be focusing on Governor Washington. The point of this story is of course driven by the actions Governor Washington tries to engage in, but really, it's meant to tell the story of the effects of these actions on various types of characters. From your standard soldier in the army, to a more crime driven drama of an average street cop, to the economic and governmental policies of the administration, to the scientific pursuits of private individuals, etc. This story is more than one character, and hence to tell the best story in my opinion I'll need to focus on a lot of individuals in different situations. So yes, Washington is almost a core figure of this entire story, but the story doesn't just revolve around him if you get what I'm saying. And that's going to be my mentality as I write future iterations of this story.

Shoutout to **GhostWolfX** and **Fernix13**. Glad to have you on board and hope you enjoy this as it goes along. Oh, and fun fact before I end this. Would you believe me if I told you that I never have my story written out from start to finish? Everytime I make a new chapter, I start out with a very simple idea of who I believe needs a story told. And from there, I craft what that story is going to be and why that story should matter and I just write what I come up with, characters and storylines and I do it within only a few hours. This may lead to some inconsistencies as this expands, but honestly, I'm cool with that as I enjoy writing my story as new ideas pop in my head to spice things up, I just hope you all can enjoy what I write as much as I do. As always, leave your opinions and I'll respond to anything in the next chapter. And thank you all in advance!


	4. Chapter III: Child's Play

_January 3rd, 2254_

 _You know the quote where they say "blood is thicker then water," and despite the truthfulness in the technicality of the statement it seems that blood runs more freely, especially in the wasteland? Family as it's known, has become less of a sacred bond on loyalty and respect, and more of an exercise in futility in our post-apocalyptic world. Sure you may still find posters of the pre-world age, praising the mother and father of some newborn child as the symbol of social status, but in the wasteland a newborn child especially is more of a liability._

 _First threat always in your mind is the slavers, dealing in the traffic of human vice of exploitation. They kill almost like any other savage raider, without mercy and without humility. Their clothes are neither fancy nor impenetrable, but you are always sure to bat an eye in their direction if you see them approaching simply based on the way that they carry themselves through the wastes. Only thing on their mind is money, and there's always someone who is willing to lay down a few caps to get complete control over someone else._

 _Second threat that's on your mind is disease and injuries. Doctors are scattered, and their ain't many organized clinics for you to get some decent medical care unless you live a bit deeper in the lands of the old New California Republic. Jimmy falls down the well and breaks his little arm, he either has to fight through it himself or treat it with what he knows. Get shot by a stray bullet, tough luck. Stumble upon a pack of radscorpions, hope you said your prayers. The wasteland is harsh, and unless you're packing some pull in the exchange department you won't get much in the way of services._

 _Last threat to your family is always the general idea of lifestyle and protection. This ain't the olden days where you could go into a factory and work for a living in relative safety, no. These are the days you will either be learning how to farm and trade with distant merchants, prostitute yourself, become a merchant and maybe found a company, among a few other notable jobs I refuse to get into. Point being, with the number of things you will need to get settled on with your work it leaves little time for you to really nurture some ankle-bitter who will need your constant protection. It's another mouth to feed in a sea of sand._

 _And those are just the top of your list of concerns. Really makes me think why someone would want to even bring a child at all into this environment. Maybe their all accidents, you know? Banging inside of a tavern or brothel or in the alley and don't wear any protection and later end up bearing a child? Or maybe, people are just stupid and believe they need to pass on their suffering to an offspring to make them feel a little better about their terrible and destitute life in this world. Or maybe, I'm just being cynical?_

Tatum sat on his desk, as he contemplated with the questions in his head. The other day, there had been an attempted assassination on the governor of the states by an unknown party armed with laser weaponry. Although the governor made it to safety, and nobody from the stage had been seriously injured in any form it had been a stressful day for the sheriff. New Reno despite its flaws, was his responsibility. He was entrusted with the duty of keeping people safe within it's streets and in that basic duty, he had failed. The fact that somehow a group of criminals had managed to slip past all of the security leading up to the ceremony, and engage in a firefight with security forces was just the tip of the iceberg.

Most of the shooters had gotten away from authorities, slipping into the screaming and fleeing crowd. A few of the shooters that didn't, were gunned down by security forces in the escape and thus there was not a single individual arrested who could be questioned about the assassination attempt. From there, the hammer fell down fast on the sheriff. Mayor Wright demanded him to investigate the circumstances of the attempt thoroughly and return with an arrest as soon as possible. The same request was made by Representative Lockhard, and Attorney General Devon. And they also demanded that until information on the culprit had been found, the city would be entering into an indefinite lockdown. Caravans would be allowed in for basic supplies and goods, but people not associated with the caravan log who entered will not be allowed to leave until the conclusion of the investigation.

This only increased the amount of pressure on the sheriff, as he was the one officially put in charge of the investigation and thus, he was fully responsible for the duration of the lockdown. A development, which put him in a sour mood.

A knock was soon heard at the door, as he looked up from the floor.

"Come in, but this better be important." Tatum said, as the door swung itself open, and a rather young man with a badge stepped inside, indicating him as an officer.

"Sheriff, we believe we've located something of interest." The officer said.

"Well spit it out son, I'm not getting any younger here." Tatum said, crossing his arms as he focuses his eyes on the officer.

"Well sir, we've gone through a pretty thorough sweep throughout the buildings around the site of the speech and have made a discovery. The weapons as you know, were laser pistols and we booked the ones we found into storage after the shootout. Now, we believe we may have narrowed down where the weapons came from." The officer said.

 _Well I guess that's a start isn't it? It'll be at least way more to go off from then simply a bunch of dead nobodies who have yet to be identified to any known group of people._ "Continue, officer." Tatum said.

"The weapons were found to be in one of the abandoned buildings, lined various crates which is how we expect it managed to pass by security as it never passed through any of the security checkpoints. From what we know about the building, it was used by the Salvatore's as some sort of compound. We imagine it's where they were storing all of their goods. And that means if we're correct, then the laser pistols were just some of the old stockpile left from the gang in their day." The officer concluded.

 _Great…old Salvatore family weaponry was used for the crime. Granted, I at least know where those weapons had come from after being informed by the army when they took this town during the siege. Old shipments from the Enclave out west, for some sort of favor. So, if these weapons had truly just been sitting in some boxes or whatever to just be found, there is nobody else to really track them to._ "Do we have any witnesses who reported seeing strange people hanging around that building at any time, or maybe an officer who noticed higher activity in the proceeding weeks?" Tatum asked.

The officer nodded in the negative. "No, sir. Nobody is coming forward with any usable information. And as we are pretty certain the weapons have always been here, and were not smuggled past security personnel it makes the situation a bit complicated. We're still having officers ask around for any small bit of information, but we're coming up dry."

"Well, then it looks like we need to wet the whistle a bit now don't we officer? Currently we still don't have an ID on the shooters, but we also know that a good amount of them have to still be roaming New Reno due to the lockdown of the city. First thing we need to figure out, is if someone could legitimately just stumble upon the stash by complete accident, or if they were tipped off about the stash from someone who knew." Tatum said, uncrossing his arms.

"Well, sir. With the death of Mr. Salvatore at the tribunal and his leadership, we don't have many suspects. We can try to shakedown some of the old Salvatore gang members to see if they know about their bosses' dealings with individuals or factions, but that's about all I can think of for now." The officer said.

"Then get it done, officer. Everyone who we can locate who used to be a member of the gang, I need them interrogated. Surely, someone has to know something about that warehouse and who may have known about it." The sheriff said.

"I'll get right on it." The officer said, closing the door behind him as he left the room.

Sliding himself off the desk, Tatum moved towards his chair as he took himself a seat and slid open one of his drawers. These drawers mainly contained more personal information that he tried to keep close by, and also information on some of his private contacts. Luckily for him, he had kept a private record of associates with the old crime family he could try and call on for information.

As he flipped through the pages of documents he had compiled, he soon placed the folder back inside the desk and prepared to head out from the station.

Passing by the secretary's desk and soon out on the streets, he made his way towards the casinos prominent in the New Reno atmosphere and prepared for the upcoming confrontations.

 _Remember how I was talking about the whole idea of children and how I thought it was most likely an irresponsible decision as to why people have them? Well, at least in the context I was referring to the idea of biological children from newborn status. The children I don't particularly have a problem with are the ones who you take under your wing, and they know that you are the figure in charge. The authority and structure in their lives that they do not wish to lose. That's how it feels for some of the old members of Salvatores crime family who now take up residence with their old rivals or have tried moving on. They know that I keep them on a leash, and that I will yank that leash in whatever direction I choose at any given point in order to accomplish the goals I have set out for myself to complete. And if they wish to stay in my good graces, they'll comply. And that, is the child I like. I wonder if that's the same thinking the United Settlements has in regards to me?_

* * *

 _You know, I think I'm starting to understand how President Richardson must have felt in the last few moments of his life. You start out with a plan in which you begin planning over a long period of time, you dedicate the necessary resources and dedicated required to achieve all of the low-level work, and then when you are close to fulfilling that plan something just stands in your way and derails it. And usually, it's not even derailed by some counter long and hard plan, but by the nature of circumstance that just happens to fall in an undesirable direction regardless of the consequences._

 _This was to be a simple ceremony in New Reno, meant to determine unity among our newly introduced citizens and begin to bring order to a chaotic world. It was designed to show that there was hope, and that things were on a positive trend. And during my publicized speech, someone attempts an assassination on the person trying to recover the wasteland from the ashes it finds itself in. Now I'm back in New Vegas inside my mansion, being watched over by my wife and staff in order to ensure that I am back to complete healthy status. Granted, I didn't really get injured badly or anything, just some burns and cuts. And now everyone is worried over me, good grief._

 _I've read the intelligence report about the security situation in New Reno before I left, and dismissed it then, but lately I've been reviewing it and going over possibilities. We know that there has been an unusual increase in caravan traffic across our borders from the Pacific Confederation which may be related to my incident, but I'm not convinced. The New California Republic for its flaws, was a democratic government and generally provided that system of government to its citizens. Now that system has been violently overthrown by war, with a regime that is extremely authoritarian in its philosophy._

 _This is backed up by the numerous amounts of refugees that have been rushing into Nevada to try and gain themselves a new home, and escape the chaotic landscape which makes up California these days. So, it really doesn't surprise me that there has been an increase in caravan activity, but the fact that the report says they are heading to undisclosed destinations is a bit strange and worthy of taking a look into at the very least._

 _Other then the reports of the caravan activity, was a profile on the internal city power structure. The Wrights and Bishops in some sort of power sharing agreement in order to avoid conflict and maximize the power they wish to hold, and a sheriff who stands in between the both of them as the neutral arbitrator. In a way, it's almost a perfect setup for the town as everyone is being kept in relative check of power. However, somehow these weapons seemed to slip by everyone and that is unacceptable._

 _I've been informed that after the shooting began, the city was quickly placed under lock down to ensure that the suspects would not escape from the authorities even if they escaped the scene. Searches for the suspects are ongoing with the investigation being led by the local sheriff, but so far nothing has come up. It is very early in the stages of the investigation and if we're going to get a thorough report about what is actually going on in the city, we need to allow the sheriff to have as much time as needed. And it'll be a great way to test his loyalty, which was also pointed out in the report._

 _However, despite this, it still leads me no closer to finding a suspect. I would like to think that the act was done by some city vagrants as an act of vengeance, rather then anything that may be more organized, but I can never be sure until we get more information. Which means, it's time for more waiting._

 _On an off-topic affair from this intelligence report, I've been taking quite an interest in the campaign the Pacific Confederation has been engaging in the north western territories. The State of Oregon had been fully annexed, and engagements have been reported by rumors to extend all the way into the State of Washington. This rapid expansion must not be taken lightly, and we must take steps to ensure the survival of the United Settlements in light of a growing adversary._

 _I've begun to direct the Defense Intelligence Agency to begin operations in the State of Utah, to provide information on the region for possible upcoming expansion. With the decline of raiders across the State of Nevada due to increased amounts of patrols in both personnel and frequency has rendered many parts of the state to be in a rather safe state of affairs, and with the Mister Handy robots building infrastructure to ensure the nation remains connected, that travel remains safe, and trade remain unhindered will only lead to increased economic prosperity and revenue and allow for more freeing up of military forces for other matters._

 _I did not make this decision lightly however, as there were other tempting targets for expansion. I originally thought of Arizona due to the presence of many prominent US military outposts and testing grounds being located there which would be a valuable asset to the military. The problem however, was that it would only extend my lines across the California republic and thus force me to overstretch resources which at this time I cannot afford. The State of Idaho came with the same problem in my book, with the recent conquest of Oregon and the ongoing conquest of Washington would just leave for an overstretched border with the Pacific States._

 _In the State of Utah however, it is rather tame. Raiders are regularly being dispatched via expeditions into the state by my military forces, and the old capital city is not all that far from the Nevada border. And that goes for most cities in Utah, being concentrated either near the capital or right by the Nevada-Utah border which meant easy conquests of territory with fast returns on population growth. At least in my opinion._

 _Before I order the expedition however to formally integrate the state into our growing empire, I need to ensure I have the lay of the land. Even though we've been fighting mostly raiders, is it possible there are civilizations that may exist a bit deeper in the state that may give us trouble? And, what are some of the prominent locations that may provide us with a stash of weapons, pre-war equipment, or valuable information we can use to grow. I'll admit, I didn't have near enough time to study every state in the union to determine what use it may hold to the enclave and thus there is so much I don't know about what we may have going on in most cases across the country, and that is exactly what scares me._

 _Everyone in the wasteland wonders about the immediate dangers that may hinder them going into the next day. Food, water, shelter, you know the essentials. But nobody wonders about the unforeseen threats until it's far too late. If people knew about the FEV far earlier, Masters Army most likely would've never have taken off and begun terrorizing the people of the wasteland. If people knew about the old Poseidon Oil Rig, maybe they could've tried mounting a better defense against the Enclave when we first began appearing across the wasteland. The point being, there is still unforeseen dangers and I cannot in good conscious settle myself down and be content with my holdings, until I know these dangers are eradicated._

 _Maybe we'll find some new weapons of mass destruction? Pretty sure there is some nukes still laying around in the wasteland waiting to be discovered by some lone traveler. Or maybe a virus that has yet to be released from a sealed vault. The list is endless, and we must always be on our toes. And thus, I must ensure we keep expanding despite the costs. You know, in a way I guess I think like the Brotherhood. Brotherhood was so interested in the technology they could find, and safe-guarding of that technology from uncivilized hands. Same as me, but with one difference. Brotherhood thought they could remain isolated and secure in bunkers, but then people got too big for them and it hindered their mission. I on the other hand will not be making that same mistake. I will secure the technology I need, by expanding my territory and governing. It's the only sensible strategy._

 _I expect the report from the agency to come in probably by the end of the month, and I can make my determination then on my strategy for Utah. Anyway, I got to sign off. Time for me to get some sleep before I start getting yelled at for being out of bed._

 _Signed,_

 _Governor Washington_

 _Journal Log #02_


	5. Chapter IV: Made Men

_January_ _6_ _th_ _, 2254_

"Don't slouch in your seat boy, you'll fall right out of the chair and break your back." A woman dressed in all black said, as she stood in the doorway of the office.

This was the voice of Mama Wright as she has become known around the family. The mother of all the children of Mr. Wright, and in turn the godmother of the entire Wright enterprise. Still as puritan as when The Chosen One met her, and as ignorant as ever.

"Yes, Ma. Wouldn't want me to end up getting a trip to the doc, now would we?" The man dressed in white gruffed, as he moved and squirmed back into his chair looking to his mother with a hint of a smile.

"No, Bobby. It would simply break my heart to see you hurt. And it would break the heart of the town to see their Mayor in state of medical disrepair. So please, don't do that again, you hear?" The women quipped, placing her hands on her hips as she sternly gazed at the boy of hers.

"Yes, Ma. I'm sorry though Ma, I'm going to have to let you go now. I got an important meeting with the council about the current affairs of the city, I'm sure you understand." Bobby said, as he proceeded to stand up from his seat and head towards the door.

"Oh, you never make time for me anymore Bobby. But I guess I understand; you are busy these days. Come and give your dear old mother a kiss and get on with your day. Don't doddle." She said, giving a small light motherly smile as he approached.

In traditional Wright family fashion, she was given two pecks on both of her cheeks and a firm squeeze of her hands to signal their departure.

"Be safe Ma, I'll be home late for dinner with the boys. Meetings may run a little late and all, and I can't afford to show any weakness. Tell Pops I said hello." Bobby said, as he released his mothers' hand.

"I understand. Even if it pains me in ways to say that. Have a good day son, and I'll keep your food warm into the night for when you make your rounds over." She said, turning out and leaving the office completely.

 _I'll never understand how that woman does it, but boy do I love her for it._ Bobby thought to himself, as he made his way back over to his desk.

 _Mayor of New Reno, Bobby Wright. Yea, that's me. The Head Honcho of the town since dear old father Mr. Wright decided to fully leave his business operations to his various sons, however I don't believe he would've ever imagined one of them becoming the mayor of the town. I remember it all so clearly._

 _It was October 2_ _nd_ _, 2051 or close to three years ago when the entire town came under siege from the armed forces of the now United Settlements. The Mordinos, Bishops, and Salvatores all coordinated the defense of the city from the upcoming onslaught that would decimate the old power structures that had been held up for decades. The Wrights however, being the weakest of the families at the time took to internal defense of the city while the others focused on the external. Despite my father's reputation as just another crime lord boss in New Reno, he did have a big heart for the people and wanted to ensure that they would be safe._

 _As the siege was approaching its final days and supplies were near complete depletion, The Mordinos opted to take an offensive strategy which was endorsed by the Salvatores. The Bishops, having seen what I presume was the inevitable reality of the situation only provided limited amounts of support to the operation which in the end was an ultimate failure and the city was annexed into the new nation, under a new governor. The Mordinos were the first to be toppled entirely due to their drug manufacturing schemes in Redding and elsewhere, their leadership of the defense of the city, and their refusal to cooperate with authorities once a full surrender was achieved. The military wasted no time making an example of the Mordinos, on a level of cruelty that even Mr. Salvatore would bat an eye to._

 _Once the Mordinos had been completely pacified, the military then turned their attention to the other remaining families. The Bishop family was one of the more open minded families at the time to the occupation, and actively since the surrender assisted in peace-keeping operations in the city and cooperated to a great extent with the military which spared them from any further dismantling efforts and earned them the United Settlements Representative seat one of their members now occupies._

 _The Salvatores however were not as fortunate. Although they were one of the main conspirators in the defense of New Reno by the Mordinos, because of their old connections with The Enclave they were spared a great amount by the military and thus continued to operate within the city for a time. However, their downfall came after disagreements with the changes in the power structure of the city that was being implemented from above without much consultation or approval from the family and that made them bitter. The New Reno Sheriff's Office had been a direct project commissioned by the military and organized by the Marshals into a fully functioning law enforcement agency for the city not under the thumb of any of the crime families on the strip._

 _This was the last straw with Mr. Salvatore, but he knew that he couldn't simply declare open war against the plan due to fear of losing again to the United Settlements military which would have undoubtedly come in and order punishments as severe as the ones given to the Mordino Family. And that was a fate that Mr. Salvatore all, but wanted to avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, he still lost out in the end. He attempted an assassination attempt on the new Sheriff Tatum which had been appointed by the government to oversee the new department, and either through luck or well placed connections the attempt completely failed and lead to the dismantlement of the entire Salvatore Family with the help of the local military garrison that had been left behind during the Great Basin Campaign._

 _With the Salvatore Family and Mordino Family completely wiped out, the last family to have not got any attention from the new government was mine, the Wright Family. Fortunately, father was wise during all the affairs that had taken place and had taken steps to ensure we would get through it relatively unscathed and he was successful. With our timid approach to the defense of the city against the military when we focused on protective civilians, to our neutrality policy when it came to either fully supporting the military or rejecting the military, we walked a fine middle line that rendered us rather unimportant by the time they began to look into our operations. Even going so far as to send a military official to meet personally with my father to discuss our role in the future of the city, eventually ending with election to the top city offices._

 _You know, we're not that different when you really get down to it at least in our philosophy. We both wanted a stable government for the people, relative law and order for public safety, and a bit of economic freedom which we got. Sure, I may not completely agree with every decision, but it's a hell of a lot better then what we had previously and I haven't gotten too many complaints and would like to keep it that way. The Wasteland is changing, and we couldn't have the city run by crime lords indefinitely. At least…in the methods they were running them with. But I digress._

A knock was soon heard on the door frame, as Bobby looked up and saw two individuals enter the room.

"Oh, gentlemen. I see that you have come just in time. Please, take a seat." Bobby said, motioning towards the chairs in front of his desk.

The two men nodded, as they began to approach the desk.

"So, what does the council feel today that is so important that I'm missing dinner tonight with Ma." Bobby said, as the two made their way into the seats.

"Mr. Mayor, the council is a bit concerned with the past events that have taken place in the city. The increase of security in preparation for the Governors visit was one thing that put the people slightly on edge, but to actually have an assassination attempt actually be attempted on the leader of the nation in our fair city, well that's entirely another matter." One of the men said.

 _Well, pinhead. Don't you think I know that the people are a bit afraid. I know I'm the son of one of the now more powerful crime lords in the city second to the Bishops, but I'm paying attention._

"Sheriff Tatum has had officials from the city, and the capitol on his ass about the investigation into the attempted assassination, and so far, all I've been hearing is a lot of ruffing up of innocent civilians and terror tactics." The other man said.

"Gentlemen, please. Let us refrain for using such exaggerative language. Sheriff Tatum may be a rather unorthodox choice for our towns top law enforcement position, but I can assure you that he is a professional at his job and will do his duty to the end. Even if it kills him." Bobby said, leaning back in his chair.

"Be that as it may, mayor. Sheriff Tatum has yet to produce any results or real leads. At least that he's willing to publicly disclose to either the city council, or the general populace. And I for one don't have a hankering to go back to the days of military governance of the town when we've come so far in the past few years." Another of the men said.

"I second that. We need Sheriff Tatum to either become more transparent with the investigation or produce results at a pace faster then what is being done. We cannot risk any more outside involvement in our affairs." Another man said.

Bobby would look at the two and give a sigh.

 _It's going to be one of those days isn't it. A day where you all come in and complain like little girls but give me contradictory advice on how to solve the issue. Seriously, how do you two get anything done on that council?_

"Gentlemen, we cannot rush the smooth and delicate enforcement of the law to suit our own political agenda." Bobby said.

 _Unless you're me, of course. But that's different._

"Sheriff Tatum has shown his dedication to the citizens of New Reno in more ways then one, and I'm sure that he only has the best of intentions in his heart. We cannot afford to supply in these times, especially with the oversight of the boys down south. If you like me, want the feds out of the affairs of our well-designed operation then we must not show prejudice or callousness during this investigation. Unless of course, you would like to be the one to explain to the Governor why you felt it was of political necessity to botch an investigation into an attempt on his life." Bobby grinned, as he watched the councilman squirm a bit in his chair after considering the possibility.

"You know…I don't mean that mayor. We just-…" The man was cut off.

"You just are acting out of fear, and not of rationale. I've seen this sort of thinking play out before with the Mordinos and the Salvatores. Do you really want to be made another example of by interfering in the affairs that holds a personal interest by the Governor himself? I would sure hope not, or else you might as well dig your own grave up in Golgotha. And I'll be happy to bury the dirt in with you." Bobby said, as he slowly pushed his upper body forward onto the table.

"Now you both listen to me, because after I say this, we won't be continuing this conversation. Sheriff Tatum will be allowed to conduct his investigation unaltered and unimpaired by both the city council and his office, and he shall have the full flexibility to take whatever measures he deems necessary to achieve that goal. If I hear of any attempts to deviate from my request, I will see to it personally that someone's career meets a shallow end in a low tide. Do I make myself clear, gentlemen?" Bobby said.

The two would nod in a nervous fashion, as Bobby would only give a firm smile.

"Well, good. Now turn those expressions into one of gratitude and happiness. You look like you been spooked." Bobby would chuckle, as he clasps his hands together on the table.

"Was there anything else? I have more meetings I need to take." Bobby asked.

"No, sir. No that's it…thank you for your time. We'll see ourselves out." One of the men said, while the other simply nodded and stood up.

"Well aren't that a blessing. Take care gentlemen." Bobby said, watching the backs of the two leave.

 _Amateurs. Can't even hold their own in a negotiation. Do the people even really know how spineless their politicians really are?_

As the others left, another man stepped into the office and gave a tap on doorframe.

"Knock, knock. Is the mayor available for a talk?" The man said, looking straight at the desk.

"Ah…for you, anytime. Come, take a seat here Representative Lockhard. Can I get you anything to drink, you must be parched?" Bobby said, as he watched the man simply give him a firm negative nod as he approached.

"No, need. I have more important matters then for a pleasant chat. We need to discuss our-…future arrangements between the families." Lockhard said.

 _Oh, yes. That arrangement between The Bishops and The Wrights, didn't I tell you about it? Well, after the collapse of both the Salvatores and Mordino families that just left The Bishops and The Wrights around. The Bishops had curried enough favor in the government to earn them a seat in the new congress, while us Wrights took just local governorship. This was an agreement made to share power between the two remaining groups in order to reduce tensions. The Wrights control the affairs of the city, and The Bishops control the overall federal directions of the growing empire that the United Settlements was bent on making._

 _It wasn't outright cooperation in a mutual sense, more of a you leave me alone to my affairs and I won't muck around with yours. And to this point, it's kept the peace in New Reno to the prosperity of both families. In turn the Bishops remained in charge of the gambling operations of the city, expanded into the adult entertainment industry, engaged in prostitution, along with running various fraud and financial schemes. The Wrights on the other hand have continued to operate the distilleries of New Reno and have expanded operations into other illicit businesses such as weapon trafficking and drug trafficking since the fall of the Salvatores and Mordinos and the two have remained in their respective spheres. And that, was the first arrangement organized._

"Our arrangement? It's worked out fine so far. You've been able to keep gambling and prostitution legalized, although I believe the boys in New Vegas also contributed to that and in general business for us has been booming. What are you proposing us to change from that?" Bobby asked, as the man leaned forward on the desk, with his palms balled onto the table.

"Yes, our initial arrangements between the two families have worked out rather well to a point, but we got to look at the future Bobby boy. The wasteland is changing, and we gotta change with it. And having to watch our backs between each other constantly for the other to make a wrong move is just bad for the future direction of the city and our profits. You and me both know that this government and looking to only control Nevada, or the damn desert for the matter. They have ambitions, they have plans, and we need to have some to if we're to keep up." Lockhard said.

"You're right, but what are you thinking of proposing. I'm sure you already have a plan, or you wouldn't be here." Bobby said.

"Damn right, buckaroo. I think between my family and yours, we can start carving out a bigger piece of the pie. Look, I know the Wrights are not really interested in much of the external affairs outside of the city, anymore then the Bishops are interested much in the internal affairs inside the city. Here is where I think we can assist each other. Ever since the Mordinos boys went and got their heads chopped, and their Genitalia clocked figuratively speaking with the same going to The Salvatores we know you've been moving on their old turfs and we respect that. And that's exactly why I believe you'll find my offer enticing despite your general lack of interest in the outer city affairs." Lockhard said.

"Well then let's spit it out, Representative Lockhard. You're getting me into a good mood, but not selling me the product." Bobby said.

"Right, right. Listen, as I said the United Settlements is only going to grow. Big New Vegas Governor got big plans, and that means big expansions for them and for us. The more settlements that get inducted, means more resources will be put into civilizing the wild lands of post-apocalyptia. The more lands pacified, the more lucrative business will become and thus more competition. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to see New Reno's position in this grand scheme be reduced in favor of other settlements who came later and thus I intend to take full advantage of the opportunity we have presented. And that's where you come in." Lockhard said, leaning back from the desk.

"Other families will eventually try and challenge us for power and influence both in Reno and outside of Reno, and we're going to have a lot of upcoming battles not just managing those influences but also the motivations of the government which will be breathing down our necks from time to time. And I believe that a united front between the two families here will stand a better shot against the future, then if we're worried about the other trying to shoot the other in the back. Original agreement remains, yet influence grows, and positions stay respected. Can't have a third party throwing that off, now can we?" Lockhard finished, giving a smirk.

"So, you want to use the expansions as ways to increase prosperity. On my side the city of New Reno will grow from the economic developments of the nation, in turn also benefiting my family with internal developments and power within the city, and your family gets to increase influence over the entire republic as it grows and devours. All while holding the back of the other as a united front in the affairs of the nation." Bobby recants, as he rubs his chin.

"Bingo, the man has struck gold! Keep that up, and we'll be having gold trains from Redding pouring into the city's treasury and our pockets. So, what do you say? Partners in crime? Or um-…in governance?" Lockhard chuckles, as he holds out his hand to Bobby.

 _This guy is fast, and a bit quirky. Usually when I meet people like this, I immediately am suspicious of their intentions, but the man does have a point. Even I said the future is coming, and that we'll need to change to the affairs of it to stay relevant. And having one less enemy in the backyard to worry about is something worthy of deep consideration. Relations between the Bishops and Wrights haven't ever reached a level of serious disagreement even before the military campaigns of the north, nor has the Bishops been known to be untrustworthy of loyalty to an ideal that they hold and by most accounts are rather fair in their dealings unlike some previous bosses around here._

"I'll speak to the wiseman. But I am in favor of the deal." Bobby said, reaching out his hand to give Lockhard a firm handshake as he stood up from his seat.

"Chazing! You won't regret this my local government friend. This is the beginning of a new relationship, a new era in the chapter of Reno, and new opportunity of growth and prosperity, all helmed by the wise leaders who made the deal of friendship and pact of mutualistic respect on this great day. I shall contact you when I get the final signoffs from my family, and I assume you would have done the same. Till next time, Mayor." Lockhard would quickly make his way out of the office, leaving Bobby in a rather flustered state as he gave a sigh.

"That kid must have missed a few doses in his life or hit his head sometime in the past." Bobby said to himself, before shaking his head.

 _You know when I mentioned the future? Well, it's going to be something alright. Especially with this asshole being the representative of New Reno. Ugh, people vote for anyone these days. Oh well, I better get around to Ma. Kept her waiting long enough now, haven't I?_

* * *

 _Mr. New Vegas POV_

"You're listening to Radio New Vegas, your little jukebox in the Mojave Wasteland, and the Great Basin northern regions. I am Mr. New Vegas, and I'm here for you. We got some news for you coming right up. Investigations into the assassination attempt of the Governor in New Reno are still ongoing, with the New Reno Sheriff's Office refusing to release details of the ongoing investigation due to national security reasons. In response to this news Attorney General Floyd Devon released a statement. "The Department of Justice is closely following the developments in New Reno and are offering our full support to local authorities to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice. We are coordinating with multiple agencies and expect to have a conclusion to the affair as quickly as possible." No further comments were given.

In more domestic news, efforts have been undertaken by the Department of Defense to relocate the refugees from the Pacific Confederation into temporary shelters inside the old Nellis Air Force base. As of this time there is no time period given as to when these refugees will officially be resettled back into the general region, but according to a spokesperson from the Governors office it is both a matter of national security and accountability as to why the process for integration into the United Settlements has been slow. So, remember wastelanders, the government accepts you with open arms. Open arms right into a controlled facility for processing, so don't lie on the processing forms or you're in for a world of bureaucracy. That's all for now. This is Mr. New Vegas saying, I'm just no good without you."

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

No, I have not forgotten about this story I promise. I was just stuck in writers block for months and every time I returned to the story; I never could get what I wanted on the page. Now I have my mind in order with what I really want, and here is another exciting chapter of what seems to be a popular story by the favorites and views, but I don't know. Tell me what you think about this, I love to read reviews and comments good or bad. See you guys next chapter! (Hopefully it will be out in the next few days.)


	6. Chapter V: Valkyries I

January 8th, 2254

"Fine weather for flying. And we're going to take full advantage of that opportunity, now aren't we boys?" A woman said, dressed in enclave officer fatigues with her hands clasped behind her back authoritatively.

"Yes, ma'am! Fine weather for flying!" A small chorus of men let out, lined side by side along a hangar wall.

"I want to hear your voices high-pitched. The sound of them vertibird rotors may be our heaven, but you got to have the voice of the angels to begin your ascent, so let's try this again. Fine weather for flying, now aren't we?"

"Yes, ma'am! Fine weather for flying! Can't imagine a better day!" The chorus of men said louder, as they continued to stand in formation. All rather identical in look, with a basic flight suit and helmet issued to each of them in order to denote pilot.

"Good now. I believe the skies could use a bit of a zip and swoosh, and I don't believe we should waste anymore of our fine time together that we could be spending with the winds flowing through our propellers. The mission is rather simple, just a final training run for accreditation around the Mojave. Don't go pulling any fancy maneuver to score points with the lasses in Vegas, because if one of my babies come back with a scratch on her fine exterior, you are going to be in for a world of trouble. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The chorus of men shouted out.

"So, what are you all still waiting around for? Get to your cockpits and prepare for evaluation. Your flight leaders will oversee this operation, and you all are to ensure you actually return without crashing yourselves into the pavement or dirt, you hear?" The woman said, as she walked down the line of airman.

"Yes, ma'am!" The chorus of men shouted out, again.

"Good. Dismissed then." The woman said, watching as the line began to dismantle and head towards their assigned stations.

"Daisy, you are getting used to this responsibility, now aren't you girl?" Daisy said, as she smiled to herself and proceeded to walk off from the hanger and towards the command center of Nellis Air Force Base.

 _Nellis Air Force Base, how you've changed from the day when the governor took you over from those Boomers. I remember it like it were yesterday, except that it wasn't. Governor Washington came down and offered you all a deal. Deal was they join with the United Settlements, surrendering the entirety of the old air base to the military in exchange for flight lessons and permanent residence on the base. It just so happen that the governor around this same time really wanted to get back up our mighty fleet of vertibirds that we flew back in the old days of the enclave under President Richardson, even though at the time he didn't really have any meaningful ways to do it yet ensured it would be a new priority once the Mojave was secured._

 _I was promoted to Major General in the rapidly expanding United Settlements Army, to which he split off the United Settlement Air Corp just for me to lead with my new rank in the service. I was absolutely thrilled when that promotion was handed to me, because it meant my love of flying wasn't truly over as I once thought it may have been and I got to train the next generation of pilots under the Daisy brand of flying, far from that old bureaucratic hoopla of the old regime. This was Daisy's Air Corp, and it was going to be one hell of a ride if I do say so myself. The Boomers on the base, they were eager to learn what we had to teach. The simulation pods on the base were an unexpected gift, but a welcome one, and combined with our actual experience with flying any sort of aircraft of post-apocalyptia we were able to get some initial pilots trained up in no time. And have been sending them out on various evaluations and tests ever since to get up their prowess for the campaigns we are sure to launch in the future._

 _Secretary of Industry & Commerce House, had managed to ensure an appropriate line of supply to the base for spare parts. He had managed to restart some basic light and medium industry from the old-pre war days around the Mojave, in order to begin converting the old left over scrap and materials the scavengers were selling and bartering to be used for bigger and greater purposes. One such example being, our new vertibird fleet! Within only three years of production from our new vertibird production factory present right here in Nellis Air Force base, we now have a fleet over twenty vertibirds ready for service with an additional five in the making. That may not seen like much, but it will prove to be decisive in the upcoming battles especially when we're the ones who know how to use it most effectively out here in the wastes. These other factions and groups don't stand a chance against us, and I'm damn diggity proud of that fine achievement. _

_Alas, these are the only materials that could be spared for the Army Air Corp at this time regarding rebuilding our vast arsenal of vertibirds that we were accustomed too back in the days of the rig. Governor decided to ensure a lot more of the resources and material that could've been used for additional wings were to be directed into the main army and other defensive measures on installations as to not waste the valuable scrap. Although I don't necessarily disagree with the decision, it will always hurt to see resources diverted from the air corp, but that is the price I must come to terms with paying as I go about my own mighty way._

As Daisy continued to walk across the airfield, she couldn't help but notice all the various makeshift tents and shacks that had been scattered around the base ever since the takeover of the old New California Republic lands by the Pacific Confederation. They looked hungry and sad, but most expressed feelings of joy that resettlement would come from the United Settlements who had promised them a future under the new banner. Although, this still didn't remove the frown across her face as she passed by.

 _Poor dears, you can't help but feel sorry for them. Their home invaded by some hostile power, who didn't come to bring them liberty or freedom or anything of virtue but came to enslave and take from the savings and prosperity that had been built up in the old New California Republic. Now I admit, I wasn't a fan of the republic in its early days. And even in its late days where it no longer exists, I'm still not a fan. That republic was not the old United States, nor was it close. It wasn't going to restore civilization back to the days of the pre-war, but rather it was going to implement a post-war order built on a new morale and new identity that doesn't represent the country I grew in love with, even though I was on that tinder box of an oil rig back in my youth. However, despite the way I feel and felt about that old dastardly republic and how it treated my brothers and sisters in arms after the destruction of the rig, they still don't deserve to suffer as they do. Maybe I'll reach out to the governor on the terminals and notify him of our situation down here at some point. In the meantime, I just hope my boys are keeping up with the workload and they keep the refugees out of the more sensitive areas of the base._

Daisy continued on her path towards the command center, and when she arrived the usual respects given to a person of her rank and statue were adhered, and she soon found herself in her office going over the flight reports from the last missions flown on her watch and base security reports.

The flight reports she got where mostly just the standard things that pilots would need to do. Things like your fuel levels, maintenance requests and forms filed, crew assignments and reassignments, etc. As she went through them, she made different piles on her desk for the different sheets of paper she was going over in order to better organize herself, and in the middle of the sort she was soon interrupted by knocking.

"Come in, now." Daisy said, still moving papers across her desk.

The door to the room opened, and in stepped the mighty general himself.

"General Kreger, so nice to see you. Please, come in and take a seat. I was just going over some flight reports." Daisy said, giving a smile to her old friend and squad mate from the old special assignments they were assigned together on.

"General Daisy, quite. I come bringing messages from our governor regarding some new developments within your sector of the woods." Kreger replied, as he stepped inside and shut the door.

Kreger wore a similar uniform to Daisy, with the only major difference being the different alignment and quantity of stars on the uniform to indicate the superior rank. And thus, he was the immediate supervisor to Daisy's own air corp.

As Kreger made his way to the desk and proceeded to take a seat infront, the papers Daisy had been shuffling had already been removed from the top cover of the desk and where no longer in view of either of the two individuals, with Daisy simply making a warm and friendly smile towards Kreger.

"Well, general. I trust the news is good from the governor, yes. If he's worried about our progress, you can assure him that I am on my own schedule here and a lot of progress in regard to the development of the branch has gone about as well as can be predicted and intended with the resources we're working with. It takes time to get some qualified pilots through all the appropriate training and stages we want them to be standardized to be at. We can't rush greatness, now." Daisy said.

"Indeed, greatness cannot be rushed. However, that is not why I'm here at all, apparently the governor is looking to expand your responsibilities. The governor has recently ordered the creation of a special branch, the Airborne Branch of the United Settlements Army. From how he has described it to me, this is going to be similar to the old retrieval teams the old enclave leadership used to send us out on in order to recover artifacts, test subjects, or other information needed to further the cause of the enclave. He believes it'll be a necessary component in the future campaigns, as not only will the airpower itself prove to give us an advantage in hard hitting power and mobility, but the fear that the Airborne units will generate and the legends that will spawn will help to cement the authority of the United Settlements and hopefully disarm future resistance into not picking fights with a possible adversary with a lot more tricks up their sleeve. And since Airborne will have to be working a lot with the new crews established for the vertibirds, the Army Air Corp will be overseeing a lot of the training required to get them up to standard." Kreger said.

Daisy sat back a small bit in her chair, as she looked at Kreger and gave a slight nod.

"I understand, however I personally am not as experienced in the field combat operations as say You, Moreno, or even Johnson. I hope you aren't proposing that I train them in the ground field area of combat, are you?" Daisy said.

"No, you are correct. All combat related training directly regarding ground operations will still be conducted by the main army and thus will remain under my purview. Where I need you to come in, is to get them established and familiar with the aircraft they will be operating out from and take them on special training missions along with your crews in order to get them acting in camaraderie with the branch they'll be spending more time with then their native one. Take our relationship for example. We wouldn't have been anywhere near as good as we all were out on the field, had we not been able to forge the bonds we did to ensure we had proper teamwork and coordination. Think of this as just another Daisy and crew meeting experience." Kreger smirked, giving a slight chuckle to which, he was joined by Daisy in.

"Okay, fair enough. It might be a really great time to get this program underway with the conclusion of the final evaluations and such for these pilots we've been training on the vertibirds. Have you already gone through pre-selection of troops to be apart of the initial first batch of this new unit? I don't really want to have to go searching through a bunch of privates in Fort McCarran looking for some volunteers now, I have work here I need to do." Daisy quipped.

"None to worry Daisy, I have already picked your first few candidates for the job. Say, hello to the A-Team General." Kreger said, as he moved over to the door to open it and motioned outside for an US soldier depicting the rank of sergeant to enter.

"General Daisy, I would like you to meet Sergeant Emmet. He'll be the leader of this batch of recruits to become the first troops to pass our new airborne school. Assisted by a Corporal Henderson. I'll forward you the combat records later in the day, but I'm turning them over to you." Kreger said.

"I promise my team and I won't let you down, ma'am. We'll be the best damn unit in the whole army." Emmet said, as he stood at attention.

"At ease, sergeant. And to you General Kreger, I'll be expecting those reports from you. I want to know what I'm dealing with." Daisy said, as Kreger nodded and soon left.

Daisy stood up from her seat, resting her hands on her desk as she looked up and down Emmets stature, before moving around the table until she was a few feet in front of him.

"Sergeant, how many are you in this group that has been assigned to me?" Daisy said.

"Four, ma'am. Corporal Henderson, Specialist Santina, and Private First Class Kenny. All reporting for duty." Emmet said.

"Four of you? That's going to be the initial class? I guess they're really trying to take this rather slow and focus on small groups. Have you gotten yourself any combat experience I should know about? And be honest, because I am getting your records sent down here to me so I can know who I'm really dealing with here." Daisy said.

"Yes, ma'am! I served along with my team in the Great Basin campaign up north. Was involved in the siege of taking New Reno from the scum crime lords who ran the city before. We were also on the streets when the governor was taking laser fire." Emmet said.

"Wow, so it looks like you do have some experience under that belt of yours. Well son, you better get that all sucked up and get your pride dropped because this isn't going to be like your old guard duty on the streets of an even weaker Las Vegas, or the huge team coordination techniques and protocols you may have gotten used to in the northern campaigns to take New Reno and Vault City, this is going to be airborne. Do you know what that means, sergeant?" Daisy said.

"No, ma'am! Not entirely ma'am." Emmet said.

"Well I'll give you points for the honesty sonny, and I'm already taking a liking to you because of that straight so don't lose that while you're with me or you'll leave me a very unhappy camper on this base. Airborne used to be the power of our military might back in the days of the old enclave, and caused terror across the entire wasteland that I'm surprised you never heard of. Swooping in at nights to kidnap various peoples, or recovering documents or artifacts, whatever needed to be done fast and rather quietly was done by our airborne units which as you know, no longer exist and thus will need to be rebuilt to pack the punch we need it to back. Now I am not going to lie to you sergeant, but these assignments are going to be the most dangerous ones you will embark on for the rest of your career in the military. And most of what you will see or be involved in you will not be allowed to talk about to your friends our outside relatives, as it will most likely be classified information and will result in a court martial am I understood?" Daisy said.

"Yes, ma'am. It's understood." Emmet said.

"Good, sergeant. Remember, all that you will do in this unit will be for the reestablishment of the once great United States to its rightful place again after all these years. And airborne is going to be the backbone to ensuring it all gets done. So get back outside and prepare your squad of troops for assignment in a barracks, and I'll report down to you when I am ready to introduce you all to the flight crews and standard operating procedures of not only basic flight safety on and off this base, but some important tips and pieces of information you'll need to know to succeed and not fly out of my birds landing face down on your keister in the sand. If you have nothing more, you are dismissed." Daisy said.

"Thank you, ma'am. I promise me or my squad will not let you, or the United Settlements down." Emmet said, doing an about face as he leaves the building to carry out his assigned orders.

"Good kid, I see in him great things. Just hope he's ready for all the challenges airborne will have to face. I still don't know if I was ready-…" Daisy sighs, as she makes her way back to her desk to finish her paperwork from earlier.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

LonesomeTiger - All fallout locations exist in this fic, so yes. We'll get to it at some point as the stories go on, but I won't promise when that's coming.

As for everything else, I did not expect to spend months without doing anything with this story. Life has been getting rather hectic, but I still care about this story. So enjoy another chapter! And remember to leaves reviews, follows, or favorites to show love to the story.


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